MONAH

About the Book

After small pox infects her village, MO NAH SE TAH becomes CHIEF LITTLE ROCK’S only child.  Without sons, he raises her as he would a brave.  She becomes strong-minded and defiant.  Little Rock convinces Mo Nah SeTah that she must study the world of the whites if she is to survive with dignity.  He takes her to a white mission in Kansas.

RACHEL STOWE, a teacher at the mission befriends Mo Nah Se Tah.  Impressed with her intelligence and high spirit, she gives her the name, Monah and persuades an eastern school to accept her.

To the east, a quiet and reserved Bostonian geologist, HARRISON WINSLOW PIKE makes a deathbed promise to his beloved father.  He vows that he will somehow restore the vast Pike family fortune that was lost through the father’s bungling.  

Pike learns of GEORGE ARMSTRONG CUSTER’S forthcoming expedition into the Black Hills to confirm reports of gold.  With neither talent nor interest in business, Pike sees that a gold discovery is a way that he might fulfill the deathbed promise.  He makes plans to join Custer.

Monah is raped and beaten by the mission’s Indian hating foreman.  As a result, her fear of the white world returns and her interest in attending the eastern school ends.  

Monah rejoins her people camped on the banks of the peaceful Washita River.  George Armstrong Custer makes total war on the village.  To save the surviving women and children, Monah agrees to become Custer’s “field wife.”  

Harrison Winslow Pike joins Custer and makes a spectacular gold discovery on land banned from mining by treaty.  Pike and Custer hammer out a mutually satisfying agreement.  For a letter that authorizes him to mine gold, Pike agrees to share in his discovery.  He also reluctantly agrees to take Mo Nah Se Tah to his mine site.  

Pike experiences a spiritual encounter of howling wolves and chilling winds that leaves him strangely peaceful.          

In Bismarck, Pike hires the three helpers he is to take to his mine. RIMSKI ROSTOV is a half-mad, self-exiled Russian who at the outset intends to steal Pike’s gold.  Rimski’s brother, JOSEF ROSTOV is an avowed Indian hater. The third helper, ADAM CORNISH is stricken with “gold fever” from his days in the Arizona gold fields.    

Custer fears that rumors of his affection for his pretty Cheyenne field wife will reach his possessive wife. As a solution, he notifies her that she must travel with Harrison Winslow Pike to his gold mine.  

On the eve of Pike’s arrival to take her with him to his mine, Monah fends off a sexual attack by WILLI MUNDT, a revolting infantry sergeant.   Mundt is accidentally killed during the attack and Monah buries his body behind her cabin.  Although the taking of gold from the sacred Black Hills offends her, she decides to leave with Pike; it is that or be hanged for killing Willi Mundt.

Thus begins two years of almost constant turbulence.

First off, a lone buffalo wanders onto the mine site.  Because of her spiritual belief, Monah prevents Josef Rostov from killing the buffalo.  Josef’s hatred for Indians is inflamed.

Pike is stricken with pneumonia and Monah has him taken to her sweat lodge. Under her care Pike’s fever breaks.  Because Pike lives, Rimski Rostov’s insane plan to steal the bullion is temporarily thwarted.  

Monah discovers that Pike is a gentle and caring man.  Strong feelings of affection begin to surface.

Monah rescues Josef Rostov from an attack by a wolf pack.  This puts an end to his hatred for Indians.  

After a serious mine cave-in, Pike sees he has failed in restoring the family fortune.  But Adam Cornish discovers that the cave-in occurred because great fissures filled with solid gold had weakened the tunne

About the Author

Lee Drake worked for the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department for four years. He also served as consultant for police departments and sheriff offices for seven additional years. Writing spanned a 20 year career and more than 3,000 participants have attended his seminars which included Creative Writing and Writing for Clarity. His publications include several non-fiction pieces and, The Murder of Bobby Oates is his fourth novel published by Xlibris. The others are: Monah, based on the life of Mo Nah Se Tah; A crime novel, Hiding Gideon Pike and its sequel, Murder in Muskrat Town.